OUR COLLECTION — ASIA — INDIA 271. SHEPHERDS BATIK HANGING

This colorful cotton cloth hanging from India is made using a batik technique. This scene depicts a group of shepherds following the angel toward the star. The hanging measures 27 inches tall by 21 inches wide.

Batik style originated in Indonesia and means “drawing by using wax.” The artist begins with a white cloth upon which s/he prints a design. Wax is then applied to the areas that will remain white. The cloth is then bathed in the dyes beginning with the lightest to the darkest all the while applying a layer of wax to separate the colors. By the end of the process the cloth will be completely covered in wax. To remove the wax, the artist crumples the cloth and then uses an iron to remove the final remnants.

IFFADIFFAD, the International Foundation for Fairtrade and Development, is a non-profit organization in the southern Indian province of Tamil Nadu. IFFAD works to improve the lives of marginalized artisans through market support and offers marketing, professional training, product design and organizational development services to its member organizations.​From leprosy relief organizations to crafts groups preserving traditional techniques, IFFAD’s members reach out to people in need, providing them with a place to earn a living through handcrafts. With direct representation on its Board of Directors by the artisan groups, IFFAD strives to live up to its core values which are transparency, reliability, innovation, trust, equal participation, and quality consciousness.